Look Up!

Day 13 at the Orphanage, June 18th 2017:

“We looked up. What a huge impact happens when we look up. The stars are beautiful. Alive. Huge.
Shining ever so bright. These kids make me look up.”

During my time in Kenya this summer, I learned that all I need is Jesus and everything else is
simply a gift from him. These kids were that gift. Simply, a gift from God. All 59 of them. We
spent the days just being with the kids, helping them with their day to day life, doing devotions,
helping them with their English and their Math, singing and worshiping our Heavenly Father as loud
as we could, playing until we could play no more and oh man God’s presence was so evident and leaves
me speechless.

These kids were quick to steal my heart and they will forever have a piece of it. Esther is 10 years
old, in the 4th grade and was one of the first ones that God was knitting in our hearts a special bond
and relationship. Esther lives her life in a way that makes me think of how Jesus lived his life. One day,
she asked me if she could wash my shoes and my shoes are the cleanest they have ever been. I got to sleep
in the bunk next to my sweet Esther and every night we got to read a chapter of the book of Esther. What a
precious time that was! Esther is a shy little girl, with beautiful big eyes, and I could always find her
at night while all the girls were doing their homework and talking with the other girls at the table, I would
always find her in her bunk, so content and peaceful. Esther loves to help others, not so others could see,
but to make that special person know how loved and important they really are. Esther told me one day that
she wanted to be like me, but the truth is I want to be just like her.

Stacey was also 10 years old in the 4th grade and my sweet Stacey had a smile and gleam that lit my whole day up.
Stacey loves to laugh and is soooo ticklish! Stacey views each day and lives her life in a way that was such a joy
to watch and be inspired by. Stacey loves to love and is a friend to anyone. I cannot wait to see my sweet Stacey
and hear that belly laugh when God allows!

“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore,
I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content
with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake for when I am
weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Some nights and days, we were so tired, physically, emotionally, and some days I didn’t know how I could continue
to pour into these precious kids the way I desired. Every single time, I mean every single time, His spirit made me
strong, to keep going, to keep drawing into him, leaning towards him, He provided the strength that I needed, that
our team needed to go the extra mile, do one more hour of tutoring, and to love these kids the way our Heavenly
Father calls us to.

Often times I have lived my life just looking day to day at what’s next, but His Spirit and these precious children
have changed my glance from forward to looking straight up, and man, the view is beautiful.